A second pit bull that attacked a group of children in an East Savannah park has been captured, but a 7-year-old victim remains in critical condition.

Javon Roberson, 7, is in intensive care at Memorial University Medical Center after the 8 p.m. incident Tuesday in which the two dogs entered Treat Park at Treat Avenue and Gabel Street and attacked the children playing on gym equipment.

The dogs nipped at the clothing of a young girl who climbed atop a double slide to get away. The dogs pulled Javon off the swing and began biting his face and legs.

Bystanders used bricks to beat the smaller of the two dogs unconscious to get her to release her hold on the child's face. The other dog went after other children on the sliding board until neighbors chased it away by hitting it with bricks and firing a gun at it.

The larger dog ran a block to the end of Gabel Street where she was shot by a Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Animal Control officer using a tranquilizer gun. She ran into a thickly wooded area and hid from patrol and animal control until officers from the Islands Precinct located her before 7 a.m. today. Animal control soon captured her.

The dogs wore collars but no identifying tags. The smaller dog was euthanized and was sent to Chatham County Environmental Health to be checked for rabies. The larger dog will be quarantined for 10 days.

Police are seeking the owner of the two dogs. Anyone with information is asked to call Crimestoppers at (912) 234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637). In the body type, include “CStop2020” plus the tip. Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.

ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here and for
following agreed-upon rules of civility. Posts and
comments do not reflect the views of this site. Posts and comments are
automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some
comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules,
click the "Flag as offensive" link below the comment.

First, the owner should not allow any dog to run loose. That's one of my problems with dog parks, too. It's asking for trouble. Second, when the owner is found, he/she should be investigated for dogfighting or animal abuse. A well-raised pit bull won't normally just 'attack' for no reason, and I've had enough experience with rescues to know this. Even Michael Vick's abused dogs are rehabilitated and trained so that's unlikely to happen. Third, the owners should be banned from having any more powerful dogs if they haven't trained and confined them well enough to have prevented this!

My heart goes out to the child, and to the dogs themselves who will pay for their owner's mistake -- with their lives.

@sandy - it really is so very sad. my daughter has 2 pit bulls that are the sweetest dogs you would ever want to meet and would never attach anyone for no reason. but my daughter and her partner have trained them to be just that way. the dogs should not be put down because of this but the owner should be have the dogs taken away from him and be banned from having dogs. it's really sad that both animals and children suffer the most when their "parents" are unfit.

Savannah Blue Eyes, I know that even people who work with dogs on a daily basis often mistake other breeds for true American Pit Bull Terriers, or American Staffordshire Terriers. Those are the only true 'pit bulls'. Many breeds look like what we think of as pit bulls. I wish we could see an actual picture of the dogs. The 'find the pit bull' websites even fool me, sometimes, because there is so much variance in the breed characteristics.

You are absolutely right about unfit parents of dogs and children. However, there is much misunderstanding of pits, who were really bred to be 'nanny dogs' before they became some evil dogfighters' breed of choice. They are absolutely so devoted to pleasing their human masters that they can be trained to do things which run counter to their original natures. The media hysteria means people don't understand. I'm happy to see that you understand. God bless your daughter and her partner for showing the good side of these much-maligned 'nanny dogs'.

Bull dawgs are mean by nature. They have no place in the city. If you dont live in the country YOU are taking a huge risk with your and other folks children. There will be those who post about there little " pitty" full dog is not mean...and that is B/S. You never hear of a different breed that has this trouble, their friggin HUNTING DOGS. The only thing for them to hunt in the CITY is YOUR CHILDREN.

That poor child will have scars for the rest of their life to remind them of that horrible incident. The dogs, however, having drawn blood and caused harm will be put to sleep. Dogs that are violent towards humans are prone to repeat this behavior and the chances of it happening again are high. Violent animals are not able to be rehabilitated and the sad things is that there are many more out there due to owners who have no knowledge of how to train a puppy when they get a pet.

RST needs to drop her redecorating plans and put a ban on Pit Bulls within the City Limits. Unfair? Too Bad. Count up how many dog attacks are involving Pit Bulls. Whatever the number, if you were a victim, that is one too many.

He probably has more. I agree with all of the above posts. I know people with Pit Bulls and you are right Sandy. Those dogs are so loving and wanting to please. Those dogs aren't born mean, They are trained to be that way. When they find the owner all dogs need to be removed and evaluated. If any dog fighting exists he (the owner) needs to go to jail. And he will. The problem is he won't stay in jail long enough. He should be financially responsible for all medical bills for this child including plastic surgery so her or his face won't be scarred.
If the dogs are evaluated and rehabilitated and deemed safe they should be allowed to be adopted but any who show aggressive behavior after rehabilitation unfortunately should be put down and the one that bit the child should be put down immediately as no on could ever take a chance with one that has tasted human blood. This man needs to be charged with animal abuse and murder of animals because the dogs that have to be put to sleep happened because he taught them to be viscous and this was the end result.
I have said all of this without knowing the story about the dogs, who the owners are or even if they have been taught to be mean. If there is an innocent explanation then I would apologize however, a child has been bitten and will be scarred for life and may fear dogs for the rest of his or her life. There is nothing innocent about that.

It would be impossible to outlaw these dogs. There are so many breeds that look like "pit bulls". I am willing to bet that neither one of these dogs were full blooded "pit bulls" or one of their variations. I've seen labs bred with bull variations that are just as dangerous and they look more like labs. I also know people with cane corsos and blues that are well trained animals. The problem is not the bad dogs; it IS the the stupid owners.

The breed of the dog has nothing to do with behavior. They are predisposed to certain health issues, require certain training (more/less exercise for example) or can handle only certain environments. The training, or lack thereof, is the cause of behavior and this has been proven time and time again. Now, certain breeds are very strong and require adequate training to keep them under control. If aggressiveness is truly your worry, then we should probably focus on smaller breeds, like Chihuahuas. Instead of outlawing breeds, there should be more liability with the owners. If you outlaw "pit bulls", which with all the mutts who is to say what a pit bull is, the next attack will involve a __________(fill in the blank). The issue is not a breed; the issue is the owner.

If I can show you one pit bull that is a big baby and would rather die than bite someone, would that prove the case too? That is what you are asking me to do with the golden...and it is possible. Hands down the most aggressive dog I have ever encountered (and I have encountered MANY, because I like the challenge of breaking them) was a black lab. Food aggressive, people aggressive, just down right mean! I broke him in a week. The owner is the problem and should be held 100% liable for all damages. In addition, all dogs should be required to have a micro chip so that any owned animal can be tracked to the owner.

Exactly! The media loves a sensationalized story about a "pitbull", when most times the dog is not a pit bull. A bite by a Chihuahua won't get reported and definitely will not get a spot in the paper. It's very similar to the media's obsession with AK-47's. Every gun every carry's or shoots illegally is an AK-47. It sounds dangerous and draws readers. I think that the people who like to own pit bulls, or strong breeds, are predisposed to being idiots and not training the animal; they just think it is cool. So again, blame the owner! Micro chip all dogs (costs $20) and anytime a dog attacks, the owner has to answer for it. Got of the leash? Owner's fault. Got out of the fence? Owner's fault. The point is, no dog can attack an innocent person if they are never allowed near them. I can draw a similarity to guns. A gun can never shoot someone if the barrel is only pointed at a safe target, period. You don;t blame the gun, right? it is the handler's fault, period.

I knew you didn't agree, but I thought I'd use your example as an example. Again, you can't stop stupid people. You outlaw pits, they get a doberman. they don't train the doberman, it bites and you scream to have them outlawed. They get a bulldog and it bites because they can't train their kids, let a lone a dog that doesn't understand trailer talk. You want Bulldogs banned. They get a lab, it bites for aforementioned reasons, you want labs banned. Prohibition does not work in any form. Stupid people and the negative externalities of their actions, or inaction, will continue to inconvenience, and in this case harm, the rest of us. You have to hit people in the wallet and/or require jail time. If my lawnmower took off and ran over your child in the street, I should be responsible for negligence. Same goes here in my opinion.

I, along with several of my friends, are proud owners of 100% full Pit Bulls from the same litter, and there is not an ounce of mean in our babies. As a matter of fact, my 6 month old, 60 lb baby, helps me take care of my less than 1 lb 6 week old kitten. He treats that kitten as if it's his own. Also, he plays with my boyfriend's 2 and 6 yr old boys and has NEVER shown any signs of anger or frustration when they are wrestling him to the ground. Pits are NOT born this way... they are trained to be this way. I will never be able to understand how anyone could do something so hateful to an animal, and then act surprised when they attack a person or another animal. This owner needs to be investigated! I bet these poor dogs have been living in fear or been forced to fight so their sorry owner could make money. My heart also goes out to the victims, but EVERYONE needs to realize that not all pits are this way!

and it's a darn shame. Rotties, German Shepherds, bloodhounds, and many other breeds have occupied this position in the past. Terrible cultural flaw, in my opinion. I love the bulldog breeds, and the terrier breeds, and the pitbull terriers. I despise the type of lowlife who wants them for the wrong reasons, and treats them accordingly. I am non-violent, but this brings out the ugly side of me that makes me think about what the owners deserve for letting the children and the dogs go through this! Whoever said stone the owners, or put THEM down, made a great point.

Let me see if I can break it down for you in " My comment for Dummies" edition... The whole point of comment, if you could actually read between the lines, is that any animal, including pits, are not born agressive. It's a learned or adapted response. This has NOTHING to do with someone's sexuality. If an animal is being abused or is taught to attack, it is going to defend itself or be aggressive towards anything in it's path. In this case, an innocent child. I'm not saying that the incident should be excused, I'm just saying that maybe the animal didn't know any better. It could have also been a 35 yr old male that was attacked, if he was in the right place at the right time. This is a horrible reality. Again, I'm sorry that a child was involved, but some of the blame needs to be on the owners...which is why I posted that the owner needed to be investigated if caught. I can assure you that any animal that is in a loving environment, will treat those around him the same as he is taught... just like a animal brought up neglected and abused will treat others aggressively. I do not think I'm contributing to the problem, because my family and I have rescued animals before that have never turned on anyone. People like me are trying to help the situation. I would never abuse an animal, and for that, my pets will treat me the same way.

Some of you on here really need to educate yourselves on topics before you speak. Bulldogs are not just evil, nasty "hunting dogs" for starters and American Pit Bull terriers aren't necessarily hunting dogs, dogos were specifically bred for this purpose and have some of the traits of pit bulls as well as quite a few other breeds. On that line of thought, hound dogs are true hunting dogs, are you frightened of basset hounds and see them as cold blooded killers? Pit bull terriers as others have mentioned, were viewed as NANNY dogs some hundred years ago. If they were always born and bred to be vicious then why did our forefathers trust them with children? Anyone who says you should "kill the breed" etc., I personally don't like chihuahuas and I've known of them to bite children, other dogs, anything that moves far more often than I have heard of pit bulls doing the same. I'm not screaming for them to be outlawed. I have owned pits and various bully breeds throughout my life. My childhood best friend was half mastiff and half pit bull, I rode her around, could do anything to that dog and she never "attacked" or bit me. But she wasn't raised to be vicious. My son was raised around our pit bull terrier without a problem. I've had cats around him, other dogs and I never had a problem.

The owner of these dogs clearly did something to these poor animals. Any dog can be turned into a "vicious" dog, as another reader said they can be fed gun powder and it will make them absolutely crazy like this. There's a huge part of this story that is not being told, these dogs didn't just decide to go crazy and attack children. The fear of bully breeds is ridiculous. If you were ever around one of these dogs that was raised properly, didn't have a genetic disorder from inbreeding, etc. then you would realize how sweet, devoted and loving they really are.

about their " chosen" breeds. All of you need to google " hog dogs" and "break sticks". I have hunted with these animals for years and the ignorance displayed here is amazing. If the OWNER has to use a STICK to force open the dogs mouth, there is little you or I can do ( without one ) to stop this attack. There jaw " LATCHES " OR "HONKERS DOWN" and I have seen animals BEAT TO DEATH because they cannot ( without help) let go. Chaining them up makes them mean also. AS the OWNERS of these dogs you need to be aware of this. I don't care if they played with YOUR children every day...if they LOCK DOWN you will have to kill them to remove them.( or find a break stick) THESE ARE HORRIBLE PETS. but.....thats just my old worn out opinion.

People who keep pit bulls should have to obtain a special license and carry additional insurance. Reason is simple. If a normal 15-20 pound dog nuts up or goes rogue you may get a few stitches. If a pit bull decides to snap you get dead kids and maimed adults. If you want a pit bull then pay for it with a special license, have the dog tagged with a rfid, and the owner bonded or at least carry an extra 100K in liability insurance. Only reason I can see for having one is for hunting, dog fighting, or protection for a drug dealer's residence, Yeah I know they can be sweet and can be great pets, BUT if one day they SNAP, or get a bad attitude, they can kill a kid or maim and kill an adult. Pit Bull owners romanticizing a dog designed to kill and maim, is your choice. You want to have protection, buy a weinerdog, and a glock. Here is a link pit bull defenders might want to consider http://pit-bulls.christianfunfair.org/attacks.htm

When they hear squeaky toys or a high pitch of kids screaming and playing they are prone to attack. Not that they want to but the sounds remind them of what they are bred for ( killing pigs). The squeal drives them to kill. If you dont believe me do the research. Watch the dog whisper and learn. He has a whole series on dangerous breeds. All dangerous breeds should require a license and insurance policy on them. It wont stop the attacks but will help on capturing the animal and hold the owners accountable.

As time passes, the breeds get more inbred and weirder and weirder. Witness the decline of the UGHA mascot clan. At least in that case, it's starting to more realistically represent the "institution" for which it's an icon.

I just added a prayer for the child and a request for a place to donate to Javon's medical expenses to my comment, and all of a sudden it disappeared for "moderation"? This has happened with every other comment I've made on here. Can someone who works at SMN please tell me why my comments are being flagged for "moderation" (aka deletion)? Thank you, I would appreciate it.

You may want to watch a little closer in reference to Cesar Milan. You must have missed the fact that HIS dog of choice to help rehabilitate uncontrollable animals is a PIT BULL, named Daddy. Seriously, that was a bad example and the most popular dog behavior expert in the country uses this out of control, unpredictable, wild, hog killing, killer breed of a dog as his mediator and calming influence on dangerous dogs. Bad example

But there are some breeds that I wouldn't take a chance on owning a dog that has the predisposition of turning mean if they are taught to do so. I know dogs aren't born mean they are trained to be mean. People that train dogs to be viscous use the Pit bull breed because of their very strong jaws. They make their jaws even stronger by giving them strong objects to bite over a over. The owner of the dogs that attacked these children needs to be fully accountable for the damage they have done to this child. Chances are he won't have much money but some judge should order everything he owns to be liquidated to help pay for this child's medical expenses. I also agree with Westicles. If there is a fund set up to help medical expenses at least initially then I would give what I can. Most children have Peach Care (I think) these days but there may be large deductibles and some procedures they don't pay for. Whether this child has Peach care or some other insurance, this person still needs to be help accountable.

First, the force per square inch data shows that there are other breeds with as high or higher bite pressure than pits. Second, I've seen goldens, labs, and yes, my beloved springer spaniel breed (all hunting breeds) "lock on" and need a break stick. On the other hand, I've seen pits let go of a squirrel or other prey on command. Dogs are individuals.

Third, the person mentioning the "brain trigger" is discussing what is properly called "prey drive". All dogs have it to one degree or another, as do cats. Neutering/spaying and training can bring this under control. Dogs who are indiscriminately bred sometimes have physical problems with bad disposition and behavior results. So you get vicious cockers and dalmations, or shepherds or pits. Depends on what the profitable to sell (popular) breeds are at the moment. That's why you see so many crazy little dogs, like a lot of mean little chihuahuas when celebrities started collecting 'pocket pets'. Or the near ruin of the cocker spaniel breed after "Lady and the Tramp" and the dalmations after "101 Dalmations".

Sad to say, some of these posters who say they know dogs, particularly hunting dogs, don't know what is commonly accepted by those of us who work with numerous breeds on a daily basis: Any dog can be a liability if treated poorly/irresponsibly, and breed is no predictor of behavior. Nurture and nature both play a part, but the education and willingness to train and rear a dog responsibly is the most important factor in a dog's disposition and behavior. Kind of like rearing children.....

Yes he HAD a pit named Daddy. Daddy passed a few years ago. But he is also a trained expert with these dogs. People now days when they get a dog of any kind usually have no idea how to care for it. He has one episode that shows a women with three pits that wont stop fighting. He takes the dogs to his retreat and gets them to behave. But as soon as the women comes on the lot she starts all the dogs fighting. Even Cesars camera man got hurt on that show. 2 of the dogs almost lost their jaws from fighting that day. So no matter how well the handler is Pits will attack at the drop of the hat if not handled correctly.

My view of the dogs from a " hunting" dog is very " one sidled". I have never owned a pit, only hunted with friends who had them. I learned a lot of respect for them,...they are amazing critters to say the least. I love dogs but would never own one of these by choice. I am amazed at all the myths and realities that surround them. I have met WAY to many people who own them and have never heard of them " locking down" maybe someone will learn something here today. I have a neighbor that had a lab that would " occasionally nip " a child....with grand children around this one had to go,...it true its not just pits.
thanks !

If a person is calm and mellow then the dog is calm and mellow, If the owner is a wacko that never slows down. Well neither does the dog. You can tell if a animal will bite just by talking to the owners. I had a female golden that was just beautiful but she would have rather eaten you than to let you near me or her. I kept her with me and only me. I knew she would bite. My friends said it wasn't fair she couldn't play and I should have just put her down but in all actuality she kept me safe in some of the most dangerous cities in America. People need to look at themselves before they try to add an animal into their lives. They are a 24/7 job With lots of love to give but can be so destructive at the same time. Be a responsible pet owner its saves time and money!!